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The development of a partial school principal competency model

Janse van Vuuren, Jaco (2015-04)

Thesis (MCom)--Stellenbosch University, 2015.

Thesis

ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The unequal distribution of knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics
(KSAOs) across all South Africans is perhaps the most fundamental problem faced
by South African organisations in terms of building sustainable human resource
capacity. This inequality has a profoundly negative effect on the upward mobilisation
of potentially competent employees within the labour market. Therefore, if the
Human Resource Management and Industrial Psychology fraternity earnestly plans
to earn the title of “strategic”, then both its academic and professional spheres need
to get involved there where the fundamental cause of the problem originates: the
lack of quality primary and secondary education in South Africa. Previous research
found that the unequal distribution of the quality of primary and secondary schools in
South Africa is to a large extent attributable to a lack of effective school leadership
and management, with the school principal being the focal point (Van der Berg,
2007; van der Berg et al, 2011; Taylor, 2011). This finding leads to the research
initiating question: why do some school principals outperform others in effectively
leading their schools?
The objective of this study is to offer an exploratory step towards explaining variance
in school principal performance by studying the behaviours (competencies)
associated with successful school principals. A comprehensive literature review was
conducted to understand the context and identify broad categories of variables. This
was followed by semi-structured interviews with a diverse sample of highly effective
South African school principals (N=10). The qualitative analysis based on grounded theory principals, resulted in the refinement and expansion of the variables that were
identified through the literature study. The final product culminates in a framework of eleven competency clusters, 32 School Principal Competencies (SPCs) and 173 behavioural examples. Similarly, the results yield two additional School Performance
Outcomes (SPOs). Finally, a conceptual model is proposed that depicts the possible
interrelationships between the School Principal Competencies and School Performance Outcomes.
The study therefore contributes as a stepping stone in the path towards developing
empirically-based human resource management instruments that in turn can lead to
the improvement of the selection, development, and performance management of South African school principals. Due to the exploratory and qualitative nature of the
study, follow-up studies are needed to develop and validate a School Principal Competency Questionnaire. This will enable future research to empirically test and validate a comprehensive school principal competency model.